BREAST-CANCER SCREENING - FIRST ROUND IN THE POPULATION-BASED PROGRAMIN VALENCIA, SPAIN

PURPOSE: To analyze the results of round 1 of the population-based Val encia Breast Cancer Screening Program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this program, 78,224 (72.98%) of the 107,178 women invited (aged 45-65 year s) underwent screening. Complementary views were obtained in 5,771 wom en (7.38%). Among the total population studied, 3,502 (4.48%) under we nt short-term mammographic follow-up studies; 3,898 (4.98%) underwent additional studies and treatment at hospitals. Five hundred eighty-sev en women (0.75%) underwent biopsy. RESULTS: Cancer was detected in 334 patients (4.27 cancers per 1,000 women [3.24 per 1,000 women aged 45- 49 years, 6.30 per 1,000 women aged 60-65 years]; six patients with lo bular carcinoma in situ excluded). The estimated sensitivity was 89%; specificity, 99%. The positive predictive value of mammography was 8.5 6%; of mammography with additional examinations, 26.82%; and of biopsy , 56.89%. Forty-one patients (12.28%) has ductal carcinoma in situ; 28 4 (85.03%) had infiltrating carcinoma. In 73 (25.70%) of the 284 patie nts, infiltrating carcinomas were smaller than 1 cm. Two hundred twent y-five patients (76.27%) had no lymph node involvement. One hundred se venty-nine (61.09%) had stage 0 or 1 cancer. CONCLUSION: Results are c onsistent with other published results; differences are due to methods and patient population characteristics.